Green-eyed Monster
by barffloski
Summary: The kids are once again preoccupied with a mysterious love confession marked in the same place that once deemed Arnold in love with Lila. This time, however, two completely different names show up resulting in Arnold being torn between his friends... and his own confusing emotions.
1. Close Call

**Welcome, Hey Arnold fans! I hope you enjoy this story. It's set after the movie so keep that in mind! Please review and follow if you enjoy this first chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Hey Arnold is (c) of Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon. **

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The sound of chalk scraping along brickwork reflected the malice behind the intent of the markings. The small white stick crumbled away with such force that it made knuckles turn a sickening pale colour. The last word in place, the shadowy artist was almost panting with fury, staring at but not quite admiring the handiwork. Familiar voices could be heard from the street outside of the alleyway. The piece of chalk swiftly fell to the floor, creating a soft hollow noise before rolling across the cement. It was the only evidence that the vandal left behind as their quick footsteps disappeared into the maze of dimly lit yards and alleyways.

"Yeah! That sure was funny, huh, Sid?" Stinky Peterson's nasally laugh echoed closer through the alley where a mysterious figure had stood mere moments before.

"The look on Wartz face! It was pr-"

"Hey, look,' Stinky interrupted his smaller friend, who looked around in multiple directions before his eyes fell upon the sight that had made Stinky, usually too polite and slow to interrupt anyone, stop in his tracks. Sid's jaw fell as he scanned the unmistakable writing several times. His shock didn't last long before he had to stifle a laugh.

"Now_ that,_" he said instead, trying to remain composed. "Is funny." Despite themselves, both boys doubled over, trying their hardest to not let themselves fall to the floor, although it was extremely difficult. "You..." Sid spluttered, pointing up at Stinky who wiped a tear from his large nose. "You... you go get Harold and... and guard it." He managed to compose himself enough to wheeze the instruction to the simple boy. "I need to get my camera... boy howdy, this is _too good_!" Without another word he ran in the opposite direction. Nobody would believe them without visual evidence and by the time he got everyone gathered there, it could be gone. Chalk wasn't exactly permanent.

"I wonder if it's true," Stinky chuckled to himself as he rounded the corner to Harold's street with an amused smile on his face. "I reckon so."

_..._

"Oh my..." Rhonda Wellington Lloyd trailed off as a perfectly manicured hand covered her mouth in utter disbelief.

"We told ya, Rhonda!" Harold Berman bellowed, unable to stay still ever since he'd seen the so-called "shocking evidence". The whole concept was far too hilarious for his incapacitated brain to comprehend. Several other kids gathered around the small polaroid photograph, each gasping in turn as they realised just what, exactly, it stated.

Curly leaned closer to Rhonda but before she could notice his presence in her shocked state, he smoothly whispered into her unsuspecting ear. "I believe this new turn of events calls for a double date, my angel."

Rhonda, having been jolted from her momentary daze, took a large step away from her crude admirer and shuddered. "Ew!" She exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest dramatically. "They, let alone _you_, are the last people I wish to associate myself with, you little creep!" She turned away from him, her face in the air as she moved behind Nadine who remained indifferent to the picture that everybody else continued to stare at.

"I still can't believe it," Stinky thought aloud, cocking his head at the picture that Sid appeared to be holding onto for dear life. It was precious, he'd decided the night before. Any kid with _that _type of information gained instant respect. So far he'd received the kinds of reactions he'd hoped for. He shuffled his feet slightly, wanting to get into class already, feeling a little anxious about a few of the responses he was sure to get later in the day. Despite this, the hysterical nature of the situation made up for it and he smirked to himself before lowering his guard slightly. It rose again almost straight away, however, as two figures joined the rest of their class, waiting eagerly to start their Monday morning purely because they wanted to get it over and done with.

"What's so funny, you guys?"

Sid sighed once more as the voice of another friend rang in his ears. "Over here, Gerald," he beckoned, watching the boy push past Stinky and Harold, an eyebrow raised expectantly. Another boy followed him, poking his face over Gerald's shoulder to see what the fuss was about.

"Arnold, you _have _to see this," Harold croaked urgently, to which the blond boy simply turned his attention back to Sid.

Sid held his breath in anticipation of what his two more _sane _friends would make of his and Stinky's discovery the previous day. The reaction he got, however, wasn't exactly the most entertaining. Gerald squinted at the white writing, secured within a huge love-heart. Suddenly his eyebrows shot up and he turned his head to glance at his best friend who seemed just as... _shocked_? Arnold's face fell slightly as his eyes bore into the all too familiar childish way of expressing one's feelings. The last time something like this happened, due to the terrible rumour it spread among his friends, he'd been forced to spend time with someone he didn't particularly have strong feelings for and, as a result, changed his mind and ended up _agreeing _with the lie. "_Arnold loves Lila"_. He remembered the whole ordeal far too clearly and how it had indirectly caused his heart to be broken.

Gerald coughed, attempting to take influence from Arnold and keep his cool. "Who woulda thought..." he trailed off, snorting despite his efforts to contain his amusement. "Do you think it's true?" He glanced at Arnold who's expression hadn't changed once. He seemed a little distant. Confused and slightly saddened by the photograph. "Arnold?"

"What?" Arnold met Gerald's questioning stare, finally considering his question. "Oh, uh..." Everyone now appeared to be waiting for his reply. It annoyed him a little, knowing every one of his friends always hung off his last word. Sure, it was flattering most of the time but it was also tiring, trying to please everyone at once. "I guess it could be. I mean, it's no stranger than-" he stopped himself before he said something he would regret. If truth be told, he honestly had no idea. It could be a horrible prank; the same culprit who set him and Lila up the last time. "I really don't know."

Everyone looked away, disinterested with his feeble answer. Relieved that the attention on him had been alleviated, he glanced back at the photograph warily. If it was a joke, he supposed it was _kin__d__ of_ funny. Well, until the victims found out, of course. Then he dreaded to think what would happen.

_..._

Helga G. Pataki began to sink lower in her seat for the fifth time in one hour. For some reason unbeknownst to her, her fellow peers were being even more unforgiving than usual. Their teasing, that they felt necessary to throw at her at any given opportunity, filled the fourth grade classroom in a taunting chorus. This wasn't a rare occurrence and Helga had wondered why complaints hadn't been directed their way from the surrounding classrooms.

It wasn't the mockery that had her practically disappearing beneath her desk. No, the childish insults were rather justified if she really thought about it. Her behaviour when it came to her classmates' own humiliation was, on occasion, ten times as cruel. She was known for turning several people against one individual, inflicting "accidental" physical pain upon them and striking fear into anyone who got in her way. Although this was common knowledge, which Helga was quite proud of, she still felt ashamed despite herself. Not that she'd ever admit it. To _anyone_. Besides, they often intentionally provoked her so what were a few empty yet extremely convincing threats?

Helga glanced over at the one thing that _did _bother her about this embarrassing state of affairs. The blond boy in the row in front of her appeared to be the only kid in class to remain with his eyes locked on the board where Mr Simmons, their slightly-too-nice-for-his-own-good teacher stood, unsure what to do about the raucous. Arnold looked kind of stiff, his shoulders hunched as Helga's name was called across the classroom. She prayed that he was too dense to know what they were talking about... if _she _knew what they were talking about. She had a pretty good idea and if her assumption was correct, her whole reputation was about to be flushed down the toilet. Dead. Just like Eugene's fish.

Although she'd been trying to block out the horrific cackles coming from behind her left shoulder, Helga suddenly caught the end of the craziest insinuation she'd ever heard. Harold Berman, after making a drawn out "aw" noise that made Helga wince violently, yelled at the top of his lungs, "Helga loves _Brai-ny_!"

The blonde pre-teen whipped around in her seat, wide-eyed and extremely pale. "What?!" She exclaimed, forcing Harold and his two giggling companions' laughter to abruptly die down, and with it, the rest of the class shushed each other in order to listen to her retaliation. The three boys stared back at her, just as confused by her reaction as she was by Harold's bold statement. "Where did you get a _stupid _idea like _that_?!" The corner of her brow raised as she studied the boys now glancing between one another. If she hadn't already been sure he had been about to blow her darkest secret, she would have been far more hostile. The fact that the name Harold uttered was, in fact, _her _admirer, as opposed to her admiree, sent a calming yet confused jolt of emotion through her body. In one way, she felt as if she could hug the idiotic fool and in another, she wanted to sock his dumb face to Jupiter.

"Harold!" Sid hissed at him, refusing to meet Helga's intimidating glare. Harold caught on and whined loudly at his own mistake.

"Awww, I'm _so stupid!_" He'd forgotten their agreement;make fun of Helga Pataki until she can't take it any more but _don't tell her why until she snaps_!

"You chuckle-heads better tell me what's going on _right now, _or I swear I'll..." she growled, standing up to loom over a now terrified Sid and raising her fist slightly, ground it into her palm. All embarrassment that she'd felt before had left Helga as pure fury took over.

She wasn't mad at what Harold had said. Any idiot could see that Brainy just plain irritated her. In fact, he was the most pointless person in her opinion. Who needs someone breathing down your neck when you're trying to have a moment alone, anway? No, what angered her the most was the fear Harold had struck into her sinking heart. It all happened way too fast. She'd entered the room slightly late, a few snickers erupting from the back of the classroom. Mr Simmons had begun his Monday morning spiel about how he hoped everyone had had a good weekend and turned to write the title of his new lesson plan. Before she knew it, everyone was pointing and laughing at her. Rhonda had called in a sickeningly sweet yet horrifically patronising tone that she needn't be shy about her "secret". That's when her stomach had lurched and her eyes darted to a very rigid Arnold. Had he told them? He wouldn't...

"Helga, please!" Mr Simmons called to the infuriated girl who spun around, too relieved to actually want to finish confronting the rest of the class. So, they didn't know. Good. Mr Simmons looked a little taken aback by her compliance and moved to settle her peers down as well.

Although Helga couldn't help but relax into the sudden relief of knowing that her secret was still safe, she still wondered why on earth Harold had said that. Oh well. She couldn't worry about that now. Maybe it was a ruse to get her back up for some stupid reason. Besides, Harold, Sid and Stinky weren't exactly her favourite people and she knew that the feeling was mutual. Then again, what did Rhonda mean by her "secret" comment? And why was Arnold so tense about the whole ordeal? Well one thing was for sure; Helga Pataki wasn't about to let this slide. She'd get answers even if it killed her. _Criminy_, she thought to herself, once again sinking behind her desk, too worked up to focus on what Mr Simmons was saying. _It's Monday morning and I've already been ridiculed and jeered at. _She scowled at the thought, only glancing up in time to see Arnold give her a swift quizzical look before sheepishly turning away.

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**Dun dun dun! Again, please review if you'd like me to continue this. I have every intention to do so but I'd like some feedback because this is my first Hey Arnold fic! Adios until chapter two...**


	2. Bunch O' Morons

**Wow, as soon as I saw how many follows and reviews this already has, I just _had _to update! Thanks, guys. I hope I continue to intrigue you!  
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"Kids, you seem rather distracted this morning," Mr Simmons commented, following everyone's gazes to an extremely sour-looking Helga who was still slumping in her seat, arms folded tightly across her chest. He cocked his head at her glowering appearance but before he could call upon her the bell signalled that is was time for recess. Nobody could get out of the room fast enough. "Alright, children, see you after recess." Mr Simmons hurried after them, calling out before everyone disappeared, "And try to bring a new _special _attitude!"

As kids filed their way into the halls of PS. 118, Helga made sure she was the last to leave the classroom, gathering her books as slowly as possible. The sound of childish laughter and screams died down outside, suggesting that nearly everyone had gone out to recess and she was now, thankfully, alone.

It had been a crazy morning and although the taunting had ceased after she half-confronted the three class clowns, she couldn't shake their curious stares. She only ever appreciated the attention of one particular pair of eyes. A particular pair of eyes that had continued to face forward for the remainder of the morning. The attention she received instead was unsettling to say the least. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as everyone but Arnold stared at her. What the heck was with their sudden fascination with her love life? She didn't have time for all that sissy stuff and with _Brainy _of all people? It was absurd. Besides, Helga Pataki didn't _have _a love life. Well, as far as they were concerned anyway. She was repulsed by them all and she made darn sure that every one of them knew it.

Helga glanced at the empty desk, vacated by the only reason she felt like coming to this sorry excuse for a school every day of her pre-adolescent life. She sighed, turning away and finally prepared herself to join the rest of her class on the playground. _Brave-face, Helga_, she told herself, setting her award-winning scowl in place and headed for the door. _If they ask, Ole' Betsy had a date with some third grade __shrimp__ who-_

Before she could reach the door and finish the internal lecture she had been giving her frazzled nerves, a loud thud made her jump backwards and stifle a shriek as someone landed in her path. Apparently, the four people who happened to be the most interested in sabotaging her reputation that day had been silently waiting for her departure. Her teeth ground together, anger once again taking over her senses as Sid grinned up at her sheepishly before scrambling to his feet. She pushed past him as the rest of the onlookers came out of their poor choice for a hiding place, simply having lined up against the wall leading to their classroom.

"What're you _gaping_ at?!" She demanded, eyeing them in exasperation. What on earth was going on here? Sid looked terrified, as though she were an unpredictable psychopath. Stinky seemed bashful, looking everywhere but at her and Harold had his fists clenched in unmistakable apprehension for whatever would happen next. Rhonda, however, continued to pretend that she wasn't there. Helga growled quietly at their silence, turning away from them and made her way to her locker. They followed her warily as she raised a side of her eyebrow in contempt of the whole group. Rhonda was the first to speak, stepping out from behind Stinky.

"Is it true, Helga?" She asked, matter of factly, her hands clasped against her chest and a worried expression on her face. If that was her attempt at being gentle about something, Helga dreaded to think what the girl was like when comforting someone. It was so painfully false, her tone grating and as pretentious as ever. Helga eyed her in disgust. _So, little miss Gossip is in on this too. Great. _

Helga forced open the door to her locker, each of her friends watching intently for her answer. "Oh, brother, you gotta be kiddin' me." When nobody said a word she made an exasperated grunt and shook her head slowly, thrusting her books inside and slamming the locker door shut in one swift motion. She turned back to them, flailing her arms in exasperation. "... NO, you bunch of _morons_!" She turned away slightly, mumbling, "_Criminy, _I'm surrounded by-"

"But the wall said so," Harold piped up, cutting her off before Sid elbowed him him the arm, causing him to let out a strangled whine.

"Huh?" Helga had no idea what the buffoon meant by _that_ but she was too frustrated to care. She just wanted them to leave her alone already.

"We know on account of a little birdy told us," Stinky added, proud of himself for thinking of something that could cover up what he had found the day before. It was clear that Sid, who nodded in agreement with the statement, didn't want Helga to know about the photograph or the chalk confession. Helga rolled her eyes and turned away from the four vultures who really were watching her with a hungry glint in their eyes. It was kind of unnerving.

"Whoever this _birdy _is, you better tell 'em that if they ever say _anything _like that about me again, they'll be wearing their tongue as a neck tie!" Her voice was hoarse from weariness as she screeched the threat down the long, echoing hallway. Although the acoustics helped add a little power to her voice, she suddenly realised just how little effort she was putting into her hostile performance this morning.

Angry with herself as well at the idiots before her, she turned on her heel and made her way to the back exit of the building, breathing heavily. She was shocked, wondering what caused this sudden apathy that had come over her. It was the thought of her secret being blown, she realised, that made her feel too exhausted to care. She honestly didn't care that she had been accused of loving Brainy; she was just too relieved to know that none of her friends suspected the one thing that she had made the mistake of admitting to the person she _did _love a couple of months ago. The look on his face... she couldn't go through that again. Not with that many people in awe of her business; the people who would never let her live it down.

Helga leaned heavily against the wall opposite the janitor's closet, peering out of the small window where the rest of her peers were enjoying their break from class on the playground. She could just make out Arnold's frame, his football-shaped head casting a long shadow as he perched on top of his and Gerald's usual picnic table hangout. Helga sighed, pulling her locket from the depths of her pink dress, eyeing the large adornment that contained the small but warm smile that she felt could help her get through anything.

"Oh, Arnold," she began, clutching it tighter. "I just pray _you _don't believe this childish rumour, designed to make me look like a desperate fool. You could never be replaced by another." She choked up slightly at very idea. "Need I even utter those words? My heart doesn't have the want or will to nurture feelings that aren't induced by your..." she ran a finger across the length of the thick glass, swallowing painfully at the thought of her beloved thinking that she could possibly just _move on _to Brainy, or _anyone_, in such a short space of time. Arnold hadn't rejected her exactly, but her own fear had forced her to take back her confession and for all he knew, she _could _have since lost every romantic emotion she'd ever felt for him. Things had gone back to normal between them so there really wasn't any evidence to suggest otherwise. "...your... _you_. Just, everything about you and your stupid football-headed existence." She slid down the wall slightly, frowning at her locket and suddenly wanted to punch someone. Not Arnold though. She'd never be able to harm something so angelic and undeserving. "I hate you." She shoved the locket back into her dress irritably. "And yet, I love you. You _know _I do. Deep down. You can try to ignore the things I said to you," she mumbled distantly, once again turning to watch his tiny figure in the distance. "But I can't take it back. Not _really_. And you know that."

…

Arnold stared at Eugene as the clumsy redhead was wrapped tightly in the tetherball cord, Sheena dancing around him helplessly as he assured her he was "okay". Gerald followed his best friend's lifeless gaze who, it appeared, wasn't really aware of what was going on where the slapstick-plagued boy was concerned. Instead, he was looking past him, his stare unwavering and lacking the worry that usually would have been there.

"Hey, Arnold," he began, raising an eyebrow as Arnold turned his face to Gerald absently, although his eyes remained locked in front of him. Gerald shook his head. "What are you staring at, man?" He snapped his fingers in front of his face. Arnold blinked as his eyes came into focus and finally met Gerald's concerned frown.

"Huh?"

"I _said_; what. Are. You. Staring. At?" Gerald purposely paused after every word to make sure they actually sunk into Arnold's unusually wide head. "You've been spacing out on me all morning!"

Arnold frowned gently, scolding himself for being so rude. "Oh, sorry, Gerald. I was just thinking."

"Well cut it out," Gerald demanded playfully, nudging the boy with his elbow. Arnold smiled weakly, shifting in his spot on top the picnic table which, he suddenly realised, due his heightening discomfort, was still slightly damp from the morning dew that had seeped into the wood. He kicked his legs out and jumped to the ground, turning to enlighten Gerald of this discovery. Before he could speak, however, Gerald saw Sid, Stinky and Harold exit the building. He squinted suspiciously at their tardy behaviour and asked in a slight whisper, despite their distance from the three boys, "So, what do _you _think of that picture Sid took?"

Arnold cleared his throat, surprised that Gerald would ask a question about the one thing that had been on his mind all morning. For some reason, he felt a little self-conscious admitting that he'd already pondered the authenticity of the photograph. "It's pretty strange, I guess," he replied, shrugging casually. It just seemed weird to him that although a similar situation had happened before, the writing of the person who recreated it was a lot different. On the one that stated that he loved Lila, the writing flowed pleasantly, as though the vandal was the one who happened to be in love. The letters were joined, curled even... until they got to Lila's name. Then they became bold and kind of hurried. This time, however, the writing was messy, jagged and quite ugly if he really thought about it.

"_Pretty strange_?" Gerald scoffed at the reply. "It's hilarious! Who knew that _Helga G. Pataki_ could _love _someone. And Brainy of all people!" He chucked to himself, waiting for Arnold to join his amusement. He was disappointed to see Arnold's expression harden slightly.

"I don't think Helga wrote it, Gerald." He crossed his arms over his chest in frustration with his best friend's attitude. He just didn't find the situation very funny at all. Not only was Sid wrong for taking the picture but if it _was _a legitimate confession written by Helga herself, the rest of the class was wrong to make her feel ashamed about it. Arnold just couldn't entertain the idea that it was Helga's doing. The previous vow was a prank, or so he assumed, so why would this be any different? Besides, a little under two months ago Helga had told him of her romantic interests. He supposed she could have changed her mind by now but it was unlikely. Right?

"Why not?" Gerald asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone. Arnold always had to question everything. He never understood why he felt the need to defend Helga Pataki anyway. Sure, he was meant to be the one who stood up for what's right but surely, every once in a while, he could relax a little and just follow the crowd? Especially when the only person being hurt by it was someone as cold as Helga. "The proof's in the picture, man, and didn't you see the look on her face? She was totally humiliated!"

"No, Gerald, she looked _confused_," Arnold insisted, remembering the puzzled scowl on her face after she'd turned away from Harold. He'd never seen her so lost for words before.

Gerald sighed, shaking his head before he too jumped from the bench. "Whatever you say, Arnold. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I don't think the three Musketeers over there are gonna let up any time soon." He nodded to Sid, Harold and Stinky who were gathered around a group of other fourth graders, no doubt conversing about their latest piece of revenge material. Arnold swallowed worriedly. He hoped this wouldn't get out of hand like last time. He knew it would though. It always did.

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**As always, please review if you feel like it! I'd love to know who you think the culprit is. It could be someone we haven't heard from yet... or maybe we have. Shrug.**


	3. Stage Fright

Although nobody had attempted to engage Helga in conversation since returning to class, she still hadn't been able to shake the invasive feeling of their eyes, boring into the back of her head as they waited for her to do something that could possibly prove that she'd written the writing in Sid's photograph. Helga was, of course, unaware of their intentions and that made their behaviour a little _too _creepy. However, she hadn't pandered to this disturbing display. She hadn't blown up about it and threatened to flatten the whole lot of them into pancakes or made a snide remark about their _unique _personalities. She hadn't even aimed at spitball at the back of Arnold's head to alleviate some of her pent up frustration. For once in her life, she'd decided to cast aside every scheming instinct that told her to think of a way out of the uncomfortable situation and, instead, actually _listened _to Mr Simmons' lecture on the digestive system. The only time she looked away from the board was to glance at the back of Arnold's head but as soon as she remembered that she was being watched like a hawk, her eyes swiftly darted forward once more.

Now, Helga sat in the cafeteria, a scowl set on her face that wouldn't seem to budge as she tried to seem as classically "Helga G. Pataki" as possible to repel any sneaky individuals who had any big ideas on how to humiliate her further. It appeared to be working... for the most part. Her classmates seemed to be far more interested in something else as they gathered around one small table; Harold's wide backside blocking her vision. She raised the corner of her eyebrow, her curiosity growing. She refused to join them, however. Staying in her seat seemed like her safest and only option.

"Hello, Helga," Phoebe Heyerdahl, Helga's best and most loyal friend greeted suddenly, placing her lunch tray next to the distracted blonde.

"Oh, hi, Pheebs." Helga mumbled her reply without taking her eyes from the group across the room who continued to converse quietly with one another.

"I hope I didn't miss anything too essential during this morning's class," Phoebe said with a touch of worry in her tone. "Although my language examination went quite swimmingly."

Helga wasn't really listening. Instead she was trying to pick up the reason behind Sid's shrill laughter and she already knew Phoebe would have passed with flying colours anyway. The girl always did.

"That's great, Phoebe" she snapped lightly, straining her neck as Harold shifted slightly to the right, allowing her to now see an extremely uncomfortable Arnold who was watching his friends with a troubled frown.

"What is _going on_ over there?" Helga said aloud between gritted teeth, her scowl deepening.

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder at the group of boys who appeared to be sharing nothing more than a hearty laugh. "Helga," she hesitated, suddenly noticing the empty table before her. It appeared that Helga had waited for Phoebe to fetch her lunch to her. Either that or the idea of eating simply hadn't entered her mind, both of which irked Phoebe a little. For someone who acted so self-assured, Helga failed to look after herself in many aspects. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" Helga's eyes suddenly snapped into focus as she glared at her best friend quite menacingly. "Everything's _fine, _Phoebe." Phoebe didn't the miss the biting sarcasm in her friend's tone. "Oh, except for the fact that everyone's acting like they've lost their _freaking _minds!" She thrust a finger in the direction of the boys. Phoebe looked up at her worriedly. So she _had _missed something significant. According to Helga, anyway. "Until now they've been staring me down like I'm a wanted criminal!"

Phoebe shook her head in confusion. "Why on earth would they-"

"I don't know!" Helga interrupted her, her voice as hysterical as it could possibly be without gaining any attention. She pounded her fists on the table making Phoebe flinch in surprise. "They think I'm in love with Brainy," she stated somewhat casually compared to her previous tone.

Phoebe gasped silently. What possible reason would the class have to assume that Helga held any romantic feelings for Brainy? Anyone with half a brain could see that she was the opposite of fond of the boy. She was sent to the principle's office at least once a week for giving the kid a black eye.

"Well," Phoebe finally piped up, her voice small and unsure as to whether or not she should continue. "That certainly isn't what I expected you to say. Maybe... maybe you should ask Brainy if he knows anything about their peculiar behaviour." Phoebe subconsciously leaned away from her, fearing the reaction she would most likely receive for suggesting something that Helga probably wasn't willing to do. However she was shocked to see the girl rise from her seat extremely quickly, gripping the side of the table until her knuckles were white. It was a wonder she didn't feel light-headed from the sudden exertion.

"Phoebe, that's brilliant!" She cried, her expression firm and wide-eyed.

"It is?" Phoebe smiled up at her shyly.

Helga continued to lean against the table with her palms for a moment before righting her posture. "Perhaps the little weirdo knows who this "birdy" guy is," she contemplated absently.

Phoebe gently raised an eyebrow. "Birdy?"

Helga shook her head. The last thing she needed was to start quoting the freaks. "Never mind. Thanks, Pheebs. I'll see you later," she added, taking a few steps away from the table but before she could reach the door that lead back into the hallway, laughter erupted from the far end of the room. Helga cringed as she heard her name called in a grating voice. She stopped in her tracks, her fists instinctively clenching as her anger once again resurfaced.

"Look, it's _Hel-ga Pa-taki!_" Harold roared, pointing in her direction. The kids surrounding him laughed harder at her expense. If she wasn't confused before, she definitely was now. Her temper was also shortening at an alarming rate. All she wanted was an explanation so that she knew how to retaliate. "Aw, where're ya going? To find your _boyfriend_?!" The cackle that left Harold was enough to make Helga spin around, her teeth clenched as she prepared to lose it with the boy...

Only she couldn't move. A small part of her was scared as she scowled into what felt like an ocean of kids. She rarely had _this _many people laughing at her and when she did, it was never about something so demeaning.

"Oh, put a sock in it, Pink-Boy!" She yelled instead of threatening to punch his lights out. She quickly glanced around at his snickering companions but refused to look at Arnold. She knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to look away. It was something she'd been training herself to do for years but right now she didn't know if she had the energy. Arnold was her escape and her vulnerable mood would, without a doubt, be a victim to his eye contact and she couldn't lose herself to that in front of so many patronising faces.

Helga's scowl deepened slightly as she forced herself to hiss in her meanest voice, "That goes for all o' ya!"

She waited for the room to go silent but Harold's teasing only increased, as did the terrible chorus of laughter. She gave in to temptation and her face softened as her eyes flickered momentarily over Arnold. She turned away from them to hide her intimidation before marching from the room, unable to take another second of their mocking. Was this really all to do with a rumour about her liking Brainy? Even if it _were_ true, she had no idea a bunch of nine and ten year-olds could be so immature. As for Harold, he was thirteen but she expected this kind this kind of behaviour from him and maybe a couple of other individuals, even _herself_, but the only people who hadn't appeared to be laughing at her were Phoebe and... Arnold. Helga frowned. What was up with that stupid Football-Head anyway?

The door swung shut behind her, muffling the harsh sounds that were ringing in her ears. She let out a defeated grunt and kicked the wall, panting as she tried to suppress the weird mix of emotions that were threatening to surface. She didn't have time to get all wistful over Arnold now. She needed to find Brainy before this whole situation made her a total outcast and considering the escalation of it already, she needed to find him as soon as possible. Helga was pretty sure that she hadn't seen him in the cafeteria and he hadn't even been in class that morning. He seemed to turn up at the most random of moments. Either that or people just didn't notice him.

The idea of trying to talk to him made her extremely uncomfortable though. It wasn't that he was a bad guy or anything, despite the creepy way he made his presence known, he was just shy and maybe a little obsessed with her. Helga scoffed at the thought. Like she of all people could really judge him for that... but she didn't and she never had. Not really. It was just the _breathin__g _that made her snap at him.

"Well," Helga murmured, forcing herself to push away all the anger and confusion as she stood alone in the empty hallway. She thanked the heavens that nobody had tried to follow her. "Here goes nothing." There was only one situation that ever resulted in an opportunity for her to talk to Brainy alone and although it pained her to have to summon his wheezing breaths voluntarily, she didn't appear to have a choice. She just hoped she could keep level headed about it. She'd never given a fake declamation about her beloved before.

She straightened out the bottom of her dress and cleared her throat dramatically. "_Oh, Arnold..._"

…

It had been passed to Gerald a total of six times now. Arnold was counting. Each time it circled the group, his mood soured slightly.

He just couldn't understand their persistent fascination with a photograph of a _wall. _Sure, it may or may not have been the evidence of a secret belonging to one of meanest people in class but no matter who wrote it, it was still private information. Information, he guessed, that they weren't meant to know and that Sid and Stinky were never meant to stumble upon. In Arnold's opinion, they were taking advantage of an unfortunate mistake.

"What are you guys doing?" Rhonda asked, although the sly smirk on her face suggested that she already knew. In any case, the bouts of laughter still erupting from each of the boys was enough to give it away.

Sid snatched the picture from Stinky's hand and shoved it into his pocket. The last thing he wanted to do was let his gangly friend lose it. "We were just talking about how weird Helga gets every time someone mentions Brainy," he chuckled, watching Harold keel over once again, his laughter filling the room.

Arnold blinked in amazement at Harold's exaggerated reaction. Could none of them see that Helga was just _confused_? They were all way out of line with this one; he was sure of it. He subtly rolled his eyes away from Sid who continued to explain to Rhonda what had happened. Gerald didn't miss his look of contempt. The tall-haired boy raised an eyebrow at him but decided not to question Arnold's disinterest in the conversation now.

"Well there you have it," Rhonda declared firmly, her expression once again taking on a look of disgust. "Helga Pataki loves Brainy. She can deny it all she wants but we have proof." She pointed at Sid who nodded warily up at the girl. "You have to show her that we have-"

"No!" Sid interrupted her, his voice cracking as he rose from his seat in an attempt to somewhat match her height. "I mean, not yet. We... we have to get her to admit it first." He grinned nervously as everyone watched him with blank expressions. He didn't know why exactly but he felt like he should hold onto the picture a little longer. He shot his companions a pleading look. "Right, Stinky? Harold?"

Stinky nodded in agreement, naturally following Sid's example. "Well, you did say make fun of her 'til she snaps," he pondered.

"Hey, yeah!" Harold added, excitement in his tone as Sid's grin relaxed into a genuine smile. "It'll be fun! We can put pictures of Brainy on her locker..."

"Oh, and leave her love notes from him that say "To my dearest Helga"." Everyone gave Stinky a funny look as he uttered the last part in a dreamy voice, clasping his hands together against his shoulder.

"Hey," Gerald piped up, smirking at his own genius mind. "We should call her house when she's not home and tell her parents to leave the message that..." he paused, leaning forward and flashed them a smug grin, "Brainy called"."

All four boys laughed at the thought of Big Bob telling his daughter that a boy had called her; and Brainy of all people. It would no doubt be uncomfortable for the both of them.

Arnold nudged Gerald with his elbow.

"Ow, what?" Gerald asked quietly, rubbing his arm with a frown as the others continued to revel in his suggestion.

Arnold continued to glare at him for a moment, opening his mouth to begin a morality speech but something stopped him. He sighed in defeat, eyeing the people around him.

"Nothing." He turned away from his best friend and rested his chin in his hand. He knew this would happen. The situation was getting way out of hand and this time he could see that there was no talking his friends out of being so foolish. Even Gerald was being mislead by the appealing thought of getting back at Helga for all she had done to them over the years. Yes, she was mean and cold and had a tendency to snap at people. She called them names and laughed at their misfortunes but... she could also be caring.

Arnold had far more negative things to say about her than positive but they were things that weren't _her_. Not really. She'd shown on quite a few, although rare, occasions that she wasn't just a bully with a violent nature and the good things she had done definitely outweighed the bad. Maybe it was only he who could see that. Or perhaps not. Maybe his friends were just being immature and wanted to get a kick out of an otherwise pitiable situation...

But relying on untrustworthy evidence to belittle someone? Even if it was the Helga Pataki who threw spitballs at him and called him Football-Head, it was still completely unjustifiable.

Arnold pushed away his half-eaten lunch. He couldn't just sit there, watching the people he'd convinced to do the right thing over and over again, plot something so ridiculous. They clearly hadn't learned anything from him or their mistakes. It didn't matter whether they believed it was simply a form of "pay back" or a hysterical joke, even Helga didn't deserve to have her life made a living nightmare. Besides, she would eventually lose her mind and who was most likely to pay the price for her wrath? Arnold. He knew it was selfish but it was a thought that had been playing on his mind ever since Sid had shown him the photograph that morning.

"Hey, where're you going?" Gerald's amusement ceased momentarily as he watched Arnold begin to walk away from the table.

Arnold glanced back at him, his eyes half-lidded and shrugged casually, saying the first realistic excuse that came to mind. "Bathroom."

Gerald eyed him suspiciously and, for a moment, Arnold could have sworn he was about to call him out on his mood or maybe even see past the lie. Instead, the boy suddenly broke into a smile and turned back to his friends, mumbling an "Oh, alright, man."

Arnold sighed and dragged himself from the room. There was only ten minutes left of their lunch break and leaving the chaotic atmosphere behind him was enough to calm him down a little. He didn't even understand why it bothered him so much. He'd come to the conclusion that not getting involved should have been enough to leave his conscience guilt-free yet he couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't intervene somehow_, _something awful was going to happen. He didn't know whether that something was going to affect Helga or the others or even himself but it didn't matter. He had to try at least. Arnold supposed that the first thing he had to do was... well, he didn't like it and the thought made him feel a little queasy.

Talking to Helga Pataki was no longer a chore. It'd been that way for a while but nevertheless he'd agreed, with himself, that he'd be as civil as always but only speak to her when absolutely necessary. It was for Helga's sake, he'd told himself. She'd become a little disant and he didn't particularly want to get in her way if he was the cause of her new attitude. She didn't pick on him as much as she used to but her need to browbeat him certainly hadn't stopped being a part of their daily routine. He was almost certain that her will to torture him had been slipping since admitting her feelings to him though. Arnold did his best to not think about those few disorienting moments on top of the FTI building a couple of months ago. Yes, Helga had insisted she hadn't meant her desperate confession but Arnold wasn't stupid. Dense? Maybe, but it didn't take a genius to see that the sincerity in her eyes was real. Anyway, he'd kind of encouraged her to take it all back and the main reason he decided to do that was simply because he couldn't comprehend the thought of Helga Pataki "loving" him. Not with everything else that had happened that day. However, after he'd had time to think everything over a little more clearly, he'd come to one conclusion; that he may have been stunned by her actions, and the overall situation, but Helga, in those few moments, _did _love him. There was no doubt about it. He had no idea whether or not her feelings remained the same now but if the writing on the wall _was _her doing, he guessed not.

Arnold hadn't a clue where he was going although the low tone of the hallway was enough to make up for his poor choice of direction. If he'd stayed in there any longer, he would have lost his mind or at least said something regrettable.

For the first time in a long time, Arnold felt completely abandoned and it was absurd considering the issue didn't even concern him personally. He hadn't even attempted to voice his opinion on the matter. He just knew that if _Gerald_, of all people, wasn't willing to listen to him, nobody else would be. Their excitement had blinded them to the possibility that they were wrong; that Helga wasn't responsible for the writing on the wall and the whole ordeal could easily be a ridiculous prank.

Arnold made his way to his locker, his only option being to occupy himself with some homework or something until he could figure out what to do to influence his friends' hasty actions, or at least uncover the reality of the situation. He had experience with both but for some reason this time it felt horribly daunting.

He glared at the patterned flooring beneath his feet as he rounded the corner of the hallway and stopped in front of his locker, but before he could reach up to open it, a voice caught his attention. Arnold's eyes darted up and down the hallway, settling on an unexpected sight. His hand hesitated in front of the metal door before falling back to his side.

* * *

**...It's rude to eavesdrop, Arnold, gosh!  
Here's a slightly longer update which I hope you enjoyed. Ready for chapter four? If so please review and follow, it's extremely motivating and I love hearing who you think the culprit is. The majority of votes are for Brainy and to everyone who agrees, well, I guess you'll just have to wait for more evidence *wink***


	4. Déjà Vu

**Late update, yes! I apologise. Thank you for the amazing reviews!**

* * *

Helga had been searching for Brainy for a little under fifteen minutes in which time her anger had turned into pure disbelief. The _one time _she wanted him to show up and he was nowhere to be found. Her odes to Arnold didn't seem to be working at all, even when she stood next to a trash can or an open doorway. She even waited by the girl's bathroom which felt like an odd place to wait for someone but, knowing Brainy, he often liked to appear during the most inappropriate of times.

Helga sighed, opting to try one more time before lunch break was over and she had to endure another three hours in the classroom that made her feel like a caged animal.

She pulled her locket from her dress but this time she didn't glance at the photograph inside. Instead, she decided to try a different technique as a last ditch attempt at summoning Brainy. She held it by her side and cleared her throat once more, an evil smirk on her face.

"_Brainy_," she spat somewhat quietly, using a sarcastic tone that sounded nothing like the way she usually spoke about Arnold. It was blunt and filled with distaste and she knew it would probably do the opposite of help her situation but either way, the whole thing seemed hopeless at this point. "Oh, how I love your pasty complexion and goofy glasses." She closed her eyes and slumped against the wall heavily with a sigh. She mumbled the next part. "Your wheezing breaths remind me of some kind of small, annoying mutt." She opened one eye and peeked into the empty hallway that surrounded her. Seeing that she was still alone, she paced forward and threw her arms into the air, calling out loud enough for her voice to echo through the corridor, "I'm all yours, Brainy!" She closed her eyes once more and twirled around to show that she surrendered to his affections. Helga knew that she was pushing it a little but she was beyond caring and it wasn't as if she meant her words. "I, Helga G. Pataki, return your lo-" … But Helga had opened her eyes a few seconds too late and what she saw made the final word she was about to utter wither into a small gasp.

"A-Arnold?!" She cried, stopping mid-spin and, losing her balance, tumbled backwards onto the hard floor with a thud.

Arnold stood uncomfortably at the opposite end of the hallway and if the look on his face meant anything, it told Helga that he had heard _everything_. She expected him to laugh at her or at the very least try to conceal some kind of amusement at the sight of her. His face, however, remained completely neutral.

"Are you okay?" He managed to ask in a small voice, dragging his stare anyway from her humiliated expression. If he hadn't felt so awkward in that moment, his first instinct would have been to walk over and help her up but he seemed to be frozen on the spot. He had just witnessed Helga Pataki confirming the one rumour that he had firmly believed to be untrue. If truth be told... he was in complete shock.

Helga dragged herself from the cold ground in one swift movement, quickly thrusting her locket back in its rightful place and turned to walk away from Arnold who seemed to be far more interested in a particular crack in the flooring than her. He saw her move from the corner of his eye and suddenly panicked. He didn't want Helga to think that _he _judged her for liking Brainy. It wasn't like her to just ignore a direct question. Arnold would have given anything to hear the biting tone that she usually used rather than the painful silence that had fallen between them.

"Helga," he rushed, taking a few steps towards her before she could leave. She swallowed her embarrassment and turned back to glance at him warily. There were only two ways he could react to what he'd heard and both of them were bound to make her want to wring his scrawny neck. She clenched her fists in preparation for the inevitable. "I'm sorry for the way Harold's behaving," he said, using Harold as the main example but meaning all of their friends. He didn't particularly want her to know that Gerald was involved but he was apologising on his behalf as well. "Well, everyone I guess. They shouldn't make fun of you for-"

"_Shut up_, Arnold," Helga interrupted before he could say it. "I don't know what's going on but I don't..." After the display she'd inadvertently just shown him, she really couldn't defend herself. Not just by denying it anyway and it was clear that he'd completely missed her strong use of sarcasm. She didn't have the patience to explain herself. "Just forgot it!"

Arnold's concern visibly grew as he eyed her frustrated expression. "No, I can't. I mean, nobody makes fun of Curly for like-liking Rhonda."

Helga folded her arms across her chest and sneered. It didn't matter that she probably obsessed over Arnold more than Curly did Rhonda, she refused to be compared to the little freak. It was a whole new low.

"Believe it or not, Football Head," she replied, looking down at him with a false sense of superiority. He was just as deluded as them, maybe even more so, but that still wasn't enough for her to forget her humiliation. "There is no way I would ever..."

Helga trailed off as she realised something important. Arnold _did _believe that Brainy had replaced him where her affections were concerned. Either that or he really had believed her when she said she'd gotten carried away on top of the FTI building and that her confession had meant nothing. She mentally slapped herself. If she hadn't been such a coward maybe this wouldn't be happening.

"There's no way you would ever what?" Arnold asked warily as Helga stood with a thoughtful look on her face. She snapped out of it and swallowed nervously. There was probably only one way to get Arnold to believe her. Maybe then he could use his brilliant mind to help her defend herself from the group of cannibals that were their classmates. She had to tell him the truth.

Helga shifted uncomfortably as Arnold awaited her explanation. It wouldn't be easy. They'd barely spoken one casual word to one another since saving the neighbourhood and now she was about to once again show him what was behind her stony exterior. Despite feeling a little vulnerable, she looked him in the eye and begrudgingly set aside her invisible shield.

"I-I _couldn't_ ever," she corrected herself, feeling her stomach tighten anxiously. "I couldn't ever love Brainy. Not when I still... I've always-"

Helga flinched violently as the bell cut her off, signalling that lunch break was at an end. Arnold frowned gently at her sudden change in demeanour. Her chest rose and fell heavily, her eyes darting around as kids began to fill the hallway. She looked terrified and he suddenly had the urge to reach out and touch her arm in an attempt to bring her back to reality. He refrained from doing so, fearing her reaction.

"Helga?"

She panicked, not wanting to be surrounded in the hallway again. It wasn't that she _couldn't _defend herself. She feared that she simply hadn't a clue _how _to defend herself. Her arguments would sound lame against their accusations and her friends didn't give up easily. All she could do for now was deny it but that had proven to do the opposite of help her.

"_Helga_?" Arnold was beginning to sound a little irritated with her. She mentally shook herself.

"Don't just _stand _there, Arnold-o. _Sheesh_!" And without another word, she made a beeline for their classroom, scolding herself for once again making herself look like a basket-case in front of Arnold. She was foolish to think that she could just drop such a large bomb on him a second time. It was never going to happen like this, not sincerely anyway, especially when he thought she was in love with someone else.

Arnold watched her leave, shaking his head with a frown as he finally retrieved his books from his locker. Helga Pataki never ceased to puzzle him. So, she _did _like-like Brainy after all? Well, the evidence couldn't be any plainer. He was just relieved that the others hadn't been the ones to turn the corner and hear Helga talking about him in such a... passionate way. Arnold couldn't help but feel a little bitter at the thought of it. Helga and Brainy didn't make a very good couple. Helga was too feisty, too quick-witted for him. He hated to think such a thing, about _anyone_, but Helga would surely find him dull. Brainy had a rather bland personality. Well, what he'd seen of it anyway. He couldn't understand why Helga would be so drawn to _him_ of all people.

Arnold was about to follow her when he felt someone slide their arm around his shoulder and he stumbled a little as he was forced to fall in line with their steps. He saw Gerald smirk in amusement at his shock from the corner of his eye as they made their way to class.

"You didn't finish your lunch," his best friend stated, a questionable look on his face.

"I guess I wasn't hungry," Arnold replied somewhat flatly. He was still mad at him and he knew it wouldn't be long before Gerald realised it. Arnold didn't really know how to put his frustration into words, let alone confront him about it. He just hated that Gerald had disregarded everything wrong with what Sid and Harold were doing, something that wasn't like him at all. Gerald's distaste for Helga had always been evident but not to this degree.

Gerald cocked an eyebrow as they stopped outside Mr Simmon's classroom and lowered his arm back to his side. "You okay, man?"

Arnold sighed. He didn't want to argue with Gerald yet. In fact, he hoped he could avoid it completely. Their fights never lasted long but they sure did take a toll on him. Maybe Gerald would see the error of their friends' ways before Arnold was forced to admit it was bothering him.

"I'm fine, Gerald," he lied, unable to maintain eye contact with the boy any longer and decided to lead the way into class.

As he made his way to his seat, Arnold glanced over at Helga, wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to take a seat beside her. While putting some distance between her and the others might have proven tactful, she really did seem to be avoiding him. Practically running away from him clearly meant she didn't want to speak to him and he didn't want to provoke her more than necessary. Besides, Helga had resided in the far corner of the room and being one of the shorter kids in class meant that it was expected of him to sit nearer the front. He pushed his doubts about this aside, lowered himself into his usual seat beside Gerald and hoped for the best.

When the rest of class piled into the room, Helga could feel her knuckles turning white as she gripped the legs of her desk tightly. It was stupid, she realised. Just a day ago they all quivered at the thought of irking her. What had changed? Oh yeah. A stupid rumour, the origin of which she had no idea. One thing was for sure; when she found out who had spread something so preposterous, they were dead meat.

_Two more hours_, she told herself. Two more hours and she could go home and think about this whole sorry situation with a clear head. No judgmental eyes and no stupid football-heads prying into her business. Now _that _sounded great.

There was a sudden uproar of snickers that made her jump. Helga swallowed, turning to see what the fuss was about. She relaxed for a moment, seeing that their amusement wasn't directed at her this time. Her anger sparked once more, however, when she followed their stares.

Brainy stood in the door way, adjusting his glasses before scanning the room for an empty seat. Helga's heart sunk as she watched him focus on the desk in front of her.

_Oh, so _now _you decide to show up?! _She mentally slapped her palm against her forehead and groaned to herself. _Criminy! I cannot catch a break!_

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as Brainy shuffled across the room before briefly glancing in Helga's direction. She scowled back at him, wishing she could suddenly gain the power to make people disappear with a single look. Brainy lowered his gaze, used to the icy way she responded to his presence, and settled into his seat.

"Aren't they cute together?" Rhonda rested her chin against her palm and studied them from across the room, a laugh escaping her lips as Helga's shoulders visibly hunched.

"You gotta be kidding me," she grumbled, ignoring the comment and opting to stare out of the window instead of the back of Brainy's head. It was far from pleasant but Helga was beginning to get used to the feeling of so many people eyeing her suspiciously. It wasn't the first time it had happened and the positive side to it was the fact that they still had no idea what her _real _secret was. Especially Arnold. The boy was clueless. She couldn't believe she was about to confess her love for him a second time... and once again it would have been in the heat of the moment.

…

"Well I was thinkin' we could send her a letter."

"Asking her to go on a date?"

"Yeah!"

Sid crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his back against a sink. "Why would Helga agree to that, Stinky?"

The taller of the two shrugged. "She likes him, don't she?"

Sid nodded slowly. "Yeah but she isn't dumb!" He frowned thoughtfully for a moment before taking a step forward and began pacing the length of the boy's bathroom. "Unless..."

Stinky cocked his head to one side. "Unless what, Sid?"

"Unless we say that... that _he _saw the writing on the wall and that _he _feels the same way! Maybe then she'll believe it!" He grinned, their most perfect prank yet forming in his mind. It was thrilling. Their discovery really _was _turning out to be worthwhile after all.

"Just gotta make certain she don't see the picture," Stinky added, squinting one eye as he tried to make sense of the whole scenario.

Sid nodded, slipping his hand into his pocket. "You're right, St-"

Stinky frowned as his small friend seemed to deadpan for a second before patting every pocket on his clothing wildly.

"No... no no no no..."

"What's wrong, Sid?"

Sid let out a pained groan as he came up short. There was nothing in his jacket or pants pockets except a dollar bill and two paper clips. He reached up and gripped the rim of his hat, trying to recall the last time he'd seen the photograph.

"There's no way I lost it," he cried, grabbing Stinky by the collar of his shirt roughly. "Does Harold have it? What about Rhonda?" Stinky opened his mouth to respond but Sid cut him off. "Maybe Gerald made copies! Go ask them!" He thrust a finger at the door that lead back into the hallway before pushing his towering friend towards it. "Go! I have to check every inch of the school!"

Stinky complied, finally striding over to the door. "Okay but you only got five minutes 'til the end of school and Mr Simmons said not to linger in the hall-"

"I know!" Sid yelled, shoving Stinky through the door way. "Tell him I went to the nurse's office!" He had to find that photograph before someone else did. If Helga knew that they saw what she'd written on the wall, well, that would be another prank failed and after the turtle incident, he couldn't bear to see another perfect scheme get flushed down the toilet.

* * *

**Oh no! Another mystery! Who has the photograph? Now we have two culprits on our hands mwahahaha... tune in next time, folks! Updates shall be quicker.**


	5. Innocence

Mr Simmons sighed happily as the final bell rang. He didn't know why but he just hadn't been able to hold the class' attention today. He let it go, deciding to blame the fact that it was a Monday, and dismissed them.

As soon as Helga had disappeared down the hallway with Phoebe in tow, Stinky pounced on Gerald and Arnold. They looked up at his troubled expression in surprise as he put a hand on each of their shoulders, the tightness of his grip reflecting the desperation of his situation. He feared Sid's reaction if he returned to the boy empty handed.

"Have you fellers seen the picture?" He eyed the end of the hallway, hoping that Sid would return any second to say he'd found it beneath a table or even amongst the lost-and-found.

Arnold chuckled lightly, making Gerald blink in confusion before frowning at his sudden change in mood. "Of course we have, Stinky." Arnold shrugged the large hand from his shoulder and added, "You guys haven't stopped talking about it."

"No, I mean d'ya know who's got it?" Stinky lowered his voice a little, sending Gerald a desperate look as Arnold turned away from them. "Sid can't find it!"

Gerald glared at the back of Arnold's head for a moment as the boy once again preoccupied himself with the contents of his locker. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently and Gerald was smart enough to know when his best friend was avoiding something. Arnold couldn't escape his questions this time; he knew exactly what was going on. Well, he had a pretty good idea anyway.

"Sorry, Stinky," Gerald replied, patting him on back. "We'll keep an eye out." He shook his head sadly as Stinky slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

Gerald turned back to Arnold one last time, hoping he'd shed some light on the matter at the last minute but he refused to meet his eye. Gerald sighed inwardly and after wishing Stinky luck, lead the way to the exit of P.S. 118.

He didn't want to berate Arnold. The guy had been quiet and sulky pretty much all day. Gerald had his suspicions as to the whereabouts of the picture and he knew it hadn't simply been misplaced. He just couldn't comprehend why Arnold, of all people, would have taken it. Sure, he may not have believed that Helga wrote the writing on the wall but no matter how much his opinion conflicted with the rest of the kids'; Arnold was not a thief. At least, not until now. Something must have been terribly wrong for the boy to do such a thing.

Gerald decided to let Arnold stew in his own guilt for a while. Eventually, however, he couldn't take the suspense a second longer, frustrated and slightly impressed with Arnold's new found ability to keep his guilty conscience to himself.

"Alright," he stated, cutting into the silence that had fallen between them. They never walked in silence and there was no way he was about to let it start happening now. "Why'd you do it?"

Arnold blinked at him as they came to a stop in the middle of the street, false confusion washing over his features. "Do what?"

Gerald rolled his eyes. "You _know_ what!" Arnold continued to stare blankly back at him. "Don't play dumb with me! You have the picture."

There it was. Arnold felt his stomach tighten with guilt. He should have known better than to try and take something that didn't belong to him without Gerald catching on... and he had caught on quicker than expected.

When Arnold saw the offensive object in question sitting there unattended atop Sid's desk, he just couldn't pass up the opportunity. He'd thought twice about it, faltering as his mind told him to resist the temptation... then he made a mistake; he glanced over at Helga.

He'd never seen her so distant, her face resting against her palm as she gazed up at the sky outside. She looked so deep in thought; troubled in a way that made him sympathise with her to a degree that felt almost foreign. From an outside perspective, Helga almost _always _deserved what was coming to her but not this time. He decided there and then to do everything he could to help her. He supposed she needn't even know about it. Without another thought, he pocketed the photograph and returned to his seat before the other kids came back from the five minute break Mr Simmons had allowed them. Luckily, only he, Helga and Phoebe had stayed behind to continue "working". As far as he knew, nobody was any the wiser but apparently he couldn't hide anything from Gerald.

Arnold sighed silently. "Yeah, okay but hear me out," he began, hoping that the pleading look he was sending Gerald would go some way towards making the conversation a little less heated. Besides, he was kind of embarrassed about admitting _why _he took the picture and being yelled at was the last thing he needed. "...Gerald, you don't understand what this will do to Helga."

Gerald snorted sarcastically. "I shoulda known _that_ was coming," he mumbled, making Arnold frown defensively.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look," Gerald replied gently, sensing Arnold's growing temper. "I've watched Helga call you names and push you around for years. I just don't get why you won't let us play a little joke oh her." He shrugged, hoping he'd somewhat won Arnold over with his argument.

He hadn't.

Arnold eyed him in pure astonishment. Was Gerald serious? He'd used that very same excuse on quite a few occasions but this was very different. They weren't tripping her up or putting a spider in her locker. It wasn't even April Fool's day!

"It isn't a _joke_, Gerald! Helga may seem mean on the outside but she still has feelings and if she really _does_..." he trailed off, looking around awkwardly. Considering Helga's tendency to walk into them almost daily, he suddenly felt exposed discussing this outside where anybody could hear them. He lowered his voice, pulling Gerald by the arm to encourage him to keep walking. "If she _does _love Brainy... well, you can't just mess with someone's emotions like that."

Gerald had a thoughtful look on his face as they turned the corner to his street, stopping by his stoop. Suddenly he gasped, pointing at Arnold before shaking his head. A knowing smirk dissolved onto his face, to which Arnold backed away slightly. That look never meant anything good.

"Is this about you and Lila?" Gerald asked, his voice taking on a smooth tone that Arnold found extremely patronising.

"What?!" He almost yelled. He didn't know why but his cheeks began to burn slightly at the suggestion. He didn't have a clue how Gerald had come to such a conclusion. He of all people should have known that his crush on Lila was in the past... granted, the _recent _past but it was still the past! He'd barely thought about, let alone mentioned, the girl in weeks.

"Oh, come on, man," Gerald replied. "Why else would you _care _so much about Helga's _feelings_? You love Lila-"

"_Liked_," Arnold corrected him swiftly, folding his arms across his chest with a frown.

"Right, right, _liked_," Gerald echoed, raising his hands defensively. "I'm just saying, I get why you feel bad for Helga."

Arnold set his jaw, his frustration reaching its peak. "This isn't about Lila _or _me. Sid shouldn't have the picture so I took the situation into my own hands."

"What else is new?" Gerald muttered. He continued before he really did upset Arnold. "I'm sorry that you sympathise with Helga but Sid really needs it back, man..."

Arnold lowered his gaze to the floor. He didn't like the feeling of taking something that wasn't his and he knew that if he didn't return it, the guilt would plague him. It was inevitable.

...but he couldn't bear to see Helga's reaction when they finally showed it to her. He knew that they still _knew _her secret, there wasn't anything he could do about that except talk them out of using the sensitive information. He just hoped that keeping the photograph out of their reach would soften the blow and Helga could somewhat deny it all if she wanted to. He assumed she did, anyway. The image of her and Brainy _together _once again occupied his mind. He brushed it off irritably, forcing himself to regain eye contact with his best friend who was staring at him with an odd look on his face.

"I can't give it back, Gerald," Arnold finally concluded sadly, watching Gerald glare at him with disappointment. "It's for the best, I'll prove it."

"Oh yeah? How?"

Arnold sighed. He didn't have a clue. "Give me some time, okay? Just... don't tell Sid yet."

Gerald's expression softened at the plea, a gentle laugh escaping his lips. "You thought I was gonna rat you out?"

Arnold shrugged. "Well, yeah."

Gerald shook his head, his signature warm smile finally back on his face. Arnold visibly relaxed at the boy's genuine amusement at his assumption. "C'mon, buddy, give me more credit than that." A more serious look suddenly replaced it as he leaned forward to make sure Arnold really did believe him. "If you think you're doing the right thing, I got your back." He raised a fist, his thumb extended.

A small smile dissolved onto Arnold's face as he too raised a hand to complete their handshake, thumbs wiggling in unison.

"Thanks, Gerald," Arnold felt it necessary to say as his best friend turned to walk to his front door.

Gerald dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Don't mention it. See you tomorrow, Arnold."

Arnold made his way to the boarding house as the door clicked shut behind Gerald. He felt slightly more content knowing he could count on Gerald and he felt stupid for even doubting that for a second. They were best friends and just because Gerald didn't understand his motive didn't mean he wouldn't respect his actions. In fact, he seemed to support them... in a way. Arnold owed him a better explanation, of course. He just needed to think of a good enough reason for wanting to help Helga Pataki. Well, a reason that Gerald would _accept _anyway. Arnold already knew why he was doing it. It just sounded a little weak on his behalf. He didn't particularly want to tell him about what he'd overheard Helga saying, or their strange conversation that seemed to make her more jittery than usual.

When Arnold got home a few minutes later, he couldn't get to his room fast enough, briefly greeting his grandparents before calling out an excuse about a report due tomorrow and hurried upstairs.

"Hi, Short-man, good day at- oh..." Phil trailed off as he heard his grandson's footsteps disappear into the depths of the boarding house.

…

For the first time in a long time Helga didn't have the will to scrawl her emotions in the form of a poem or rearrange her shrine in the attic. She felt queasy thinking about it.

The past couple of months had been tough for her. Being unable to direct her full attention towards Arnold at school as much as she was used to meant that when she got home, it was all she could do. She'd been going at an unhealthy pace with the writing, filling up two notebooks per week and considering Spring Break had just ended a week ago, she had been putting her all into refraining from making up for the lost time with him in public. She'd seen him twice, maybe three times over the two week period and she'd agreed to play baseball with their friends once. That game had ended horribly for her. She just hadn't been herself. She didn't take control of the game like she usually did. She couldn't even look at Arnold or yell obscenities in his direction when he failed to catch the ball. After the FTi incident, she'd lost the ability to control her emotions, it seemed. She couldn't do that _and _torment him which meant she had to prioritise. Her reputation came first, she decided, even if it meant losing to her inner demons and becoming the weak person she despised. As a result, however, the frustration had made her angrier. Returning to school with a new attitude that was taking a while to get used to, on top of the way her friends had behaved today and the rumour about Brainy, Helga didn't want to think about Arnold. In fact, for the first time since she was three years old, she simply hated the thought of swooning over someone who was so blind to her real affections.

… but thinking about how she didn't _want _to think about him just made her think about him more. She couldn't win.

Helga groaned loudly, turning from her back to her front and buried her face in her pillow. Was she destined to be tortured like this forever?

On her way home, Phoebe had convinced her that she was overreacting. The situation wasn't _that _bad. Phoebe knew that she didn't love Brainy, _she _knew she didn't love Brainy so what did it matter if everyone else thought she did? If she stayed far away from Arnold and ignored the class' ignorant comments, they would get bored by the end of the week. Right? It wasn't like she was alone. She had her best friend, after all. She could always count on Phoebe.

Well, that was until Phoebe had put her foot in her mouth and asked warily, "You don't, do you?" After that Helga felt completely alone and she dreaded tomorrow even more.

…

It wasn't the first time that Arnold had a possession that he hated with every bone in his body but this certainly was the worst. The picture was sitting on his desk across the room and every time he tried to concentrate on his science homework, it seemed to repeat the words on the wall in a mocking tone. _Helga loves Brainy_.

He closed the text book in front of him with a snap, set it on his bed and decided to call it a day. It was getting late and he was trying to avoid thinking about Sid's reaction that would inevitably result in some kind of interrogation of all his friends, including himself. Arnold wasn't much of an actor. He found it difficult lying to people. It made him feel like an awful person... but this time he had no choice. Sid had accused him of stealing before and he'd been proven wrong. Arnold hoped that that fact, as well as Gerald's aid, would go some way towards making him seem innocent.

Arnold made a small noise of disgust as he made his way over to his desk and picked up the photograph, refusing to look at the slovenly writing. He needed to put it in a safe place. Despite the amount of trust he had in Gerald, he had to hide it somewhere even _he _wouldn't suspect. People had the peculiar habit of breaking into his room so he couldn't take any chances.

Suddenly, something occurred to him. He pushed his annoyance aside and glanced down at the picture. Arnold had seen Helga's writing. He'd worked on various projects with her, unfortunately, and he had to admit that she had impressive handwriting. Handwriting that was nothing like the writing on the wall. Sure, chalk on brick couldn't be pretty exactly but compared to the time his and Lila's names were the target, it looked simply atrocious. Surely Helga, supposedly in _love _with Brainy, wouldn't find it hard to make the confession a little more appealing.

Arnold raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. Maybe she _didn't _write it. He knew what he'd heard in the hallway. Helga was apparently surrendering herself to Brainy, a memory that Arnold didn't particularly want to hold on to, but perhaps there really was a good explanation for what he'd seen.

Before the bell had rung, she seemed so uneasy, sheepish even, and he'd only seen her like that on one other occasion. On top of the FTi building.

Arnold inhaled deeply, trying to clear his head. He wanted to help her, more than anything, and he'd vowed to leave her alone... but he wanted answers. They'd barely spoken to one another and truth be told, he regretted encouraging her to deny what she'd told him that evening. It had seemed a little far-fetched at the time but he shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly. Yes, Helga appeared to hate him but she was a complex person. To him, at least. She may have repelled him in a way but she never failed to intrigue him and it didn't matter whether she was calling him names or they were briefly getting along.

He wanted nothing more than to tear the picture into a million little pieces but he knew that wasn't a good idea. Maybe he would show her the picture himself if he was prepared to walk around with a black eye. Either way, there was no way he was going to let her be bullied into a corner only to have the thing shoved in her face by Sid, Stinky and Harold. Not that she couldn't look after herself... he just wanted to help divert their intentions completely if it was possible.

Arnold inspected his room for a good hiding place. The box drawers next to his bed? No, that's where he kept all his photographs. In his desk? No, too obvious. He guessed that the safest place for it would probably be on his own person but that was also too risky and the worst thing he could do was lose it himself.

Arnold thought for a moment. If only Helga had found the picture instead of him. Sid was careless enough to leave it a few meters away from her after all and if she hadn't been so wistful, there was a chance she would have noticed it first. Maybe then she could have stumbled upon a solution to the whole mess without his input. Arnold may have been left in the dark about a lot of things but he didn't doubt that Helga was in trouble. There was more to it than her being in love with Brainy and he was determined to find out what before his friends made a terrible mistake... even if it meant showing Helga the picture himself.

Arnold placed the photograph back on his desk for now. He was going to be needing it sooner than he'd originally planned.

* * *

**I don't know if that's such a good idea, Arnold... we'll see.  
This chapter was a bit of a filler. The next one will have some juicy explanations in it. Stay tuned!**

Your guys' predictions are awesome and I love reading them a lot. Keep 'em coming!


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